The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

Although she was very angry, Lilith had no choice but to turn to look at Judith beside her. Judith whispered to Lilith, "Your Majesty, our family still has some assets. Let us take care of those nobles in the central region. This is also for the sake of the southwest. Scott will support us."

This batch of weapons was originally intended for the southwestern border region, so it's reasonable for the southwestern border region to help. Moreover, exchanging people is much cheaper than buying them directly; all that's needed is to appease those nobles.

Although it was difficult, the Dukes Judith and Scott still had some influence.

Putting aside other things, this weapons list includes weapons like the ray gun and the melting-cutting sword, which shone brightly in the Battle of Jinsui Plain.

It's impossible not to want it.

Although Lilith knew this was like drinking poison to quench her thirst, she had already drunk so much poisoned wine, what harm was there in drinking one more cup?

Moreover, if studying the ray gun and the melting-cutting sword can help us understand the current technological development in the North, then all these costs will be worthwhile.

Just as Lilith was thinking this, Lind suddenly said, "Of course, as subjects, we in the North will naturally understand Your Majesty's difficulties, so this time, in addition to weapons, some other things will also be available."

Linde crossed his legs, snapped his fingers, and then a servant handed him a new contract document.

Nora was quite dissatisfied with Lind's attitude. If Lena, who was next to Lind, was very reserved and somewhat embarrassed because she was not familiar with etiquette, then Lind had already seen through the essence of so-called etiquette and did not care about the rules set by those in high positions at all.

But when Nora saw the new contract, she couldn't help but swallow hard and picked up the water glass on the table, repeatedly drinking water as if trying to calm herself down.

On the table, where they were pulling at each other, it was almost a clear indication that she was in a weaker position, but Nora didn't care anymore. The contents of the contract were so astonishing that Nora had completely forgotten the negotiation rules she had crammed before coming.

Watching the servants constantly refill Nora's water, Judith was somewhat disdainful. The young man was still young; he couldn't even keep his composure. Looking at herself, as the Grand Duke of the South, she remained calm and composed, even after learning that Her Majesty the Queen and the Governor of the North were descendants of the old empire. She still displayed the demeanor of a nobleman.

But when Judith received the contract, she almost spat out her tea.

Judith felt her hands trembling as she held the contract. So the Governor of the North and Her Majesty the Queen were siblings after all? The big one had really arrived.

Lilith was actually quite excited when she received the contract. She had just been thinking about learning the Northern technology tree through the ray gun and the melting sword, but she didn't expect the other party to bring it out directly.

Of course, they didn't actually share the technology with the capital; they just brought out the obelisk used for energy supply.

Judith grew increasingly alarmed as she read the simple description of the obelisk. If the description was true, then all those professionals responsible for setting off fireworks, providing heating, and charging magic arrays for the nobles could retire.

Moreover, this obelisk can also power weapons such as ray guns and melting swords, but powering weapons is only one aspect of the obelisk's function.

The North has many pieces of equipment that come with obelisks, such as equipment for producing various products in factories, equipment for mass-producing potions, and equipment for mining in mines.

This is a complete system, and although the entire system is controlled by the North, and the capital only has the right to use it, it is already quite extravagant.

Linde didn't think the world was full of idiots. The secrets of the ray gun and the melting sword couldn't be kept hidden, so the arcane magic circle would be exposed sooner or later.

Instead of clinging to the old ways like a conservative party until the end, it's better to seize more benefits with these things before they're exposed.

This also gives Linde a first-mover advantage, allowing him to better control the development of the Olympiad Mathematical Array in the future.

An obelisk can turn a city into a city that never sleeps. So the rumors were true. The North actually has this technology. Nora's heart trembled. With this technology, how could they not fight against Anjou?

Loyalty, utter loyalty. The Governor of the North is practically a noble among nobles. Although he knows that the core technology is definitely still in the other side's hands, and that the maintenance of these devices will account for a large portion of the costs in the future, which will be very expensive in the long run.

But Nora was quite certain that it was all worth it. As long as there was an obelisk, the capital's status could be re-established. Even if the reforms were halted, Nora would still have to acquire the obelisk and its supporting facilities.

If Nora can accomplish this, she will be remembered for all time alongside Lilith.

Lilith knew things weren't that simple. She watched the Northern Governor warily. After all, the technology was still in his hands. Although buying this system might allow the capital to directly enter the industrial age, to be honest, the capital's current system was somewhat outdated, and Lilith would be under tremendous pressure.

Moreover, Lilith felt that this was more of a preparation for the enemy's future plans. If obelisks were also built in the capital and surrounding areas, then the enemy's troops would not even need to be recharged by logistics when they arrived in these places.

But that's not all. Linde continued, "To be honest, I don't really trust everyone in the capital. I'm very worried. Not long after the obelisk was shared with you, Anru and the demons already have similar technology."

In reality, this is impossible. The construction of the obelisk is not something that can be done overnight. Currently, only the rune engineers of the North can build obelisks and understand how to do it.

Even if Anru puts all her effort into deciphering and researching it, she probably won't be able to figure it out in the end. At most, she'll understand the basic principles of the Olympiad magic array and be able to set up some similar production lines herself.

As for demons, their bloodline magic is both a talent and a curse. Demons, who find it difficult to even learn other types of magic, are almost certainly incapable of understanding arcane magic arrays.

Moreover, the fact that the governor was able to bring out the obelisk suggests that, given his nature, he probably already has a more perfect alternative. Just like before, he clearly had something like a ray gun, but he only sold it to the old-fashioned firearms and cannons in the capital.

Lilith's guess was correct; Linde was already working on Obelisk 2.0 and had a finished product in hand.

A single obelisk may seem very tempting, but in reality, Lind's most valuable assets are the experienced rune engineers and the multitude of alchemists below him.

However, Linde pretended not to know and continued, "So in order to prevent this technology from leaking out, I will also sell the obelisk to the Kingdom of Anjou."

Upon hearing this, Nora suddenly erupted, exclaiming, "Governor Lind, you are treason!"

To deliberately leak information in order to prevent it from being leaked is naturally no big deal for Linde, since he has better technology and it is understandable for him to use these old devices to make a profit. But for the capital, it is nothing short of a disaster.

Anyone with eyes can see that Anjou's scientific research capabilities far surpass those of Capet. If Anjou were to also obtain the obelisk, then Capet would already be on the verge of extinction.

Linde shook his head and said, "Prime Minister, the price I offered to the capital was already very favorable. Would you like to see the price I offered to Anru?"

Nora actually glanced at the contract Lind handed over to Anjou. Although it was still a draft version, compared to Anjou, the capital city could really be considered a clearance sale at a loss.

Moreover, judging from the contract with Anjou, it seems that Anjou and the North will be dragging things out for a long time. Even Alberto thinks the offer is too outrageous.

As for how long this drags on, that's up to the Governor of the North to decide. To put it bluntly, the cooperation with Anjou is a Damocles' sword hanging over the capital from the North.

Nora fell silent. The king's power was gradually crumbling, and Nora even became pessimistic about the future. There were wolves in front and tigers behind. The North had even begun to balance the situation in the capital, turning against the heavens.

After skipping that topic, the two sides finalized some details of the cooperation. Wang Du, like a puppet on a string, kept agreeing to a bunch of treaties that could be described as humiliating and detrimental to the country.

Nora knew that after this negotiation, all the benefits and fame would go to Her Majesty the Queen, while she would have to bear all the blame. But that was enough. Wasn't that why she became Prime Minister?

As the event drew to a close, Lilith sighed, "I have some matters to discuss with the Governor of the North alone. Chancellor Nora, Ser Judith, please excuse us for now."

Judith perked up; the main event was about to begin.

When Nora saw even the guards about to leave, she said worriedly, "Your Majesty, please contact us if anything happens. I will be at the door to protect you at all times."

Lilith had discussed this matter with Nora and the others before she arrived. She had some trump cards up her sleeve, and perhaps she could put up a fight with the Governor of the North again, although she didn't know what those trump cards were.

Nora was initially against it, but Judith was very supportive when she heard about it. In the end, Nora had no choice but to let Lilith wear a rune scroll. Once activated, Nora and Judith would immediately know that Lilith was in danger.

Linde knew that this was the time for some friendly chatter, so after telling Lena, Linde's guards and Lena left the room.

After confirming that no one else was in the room, Lilith spoke first in standard Mandarin: "Heavenly King covers the Earth Tiger."